Guide for venetian blind lift cords



April 6, 1954 R. P. MOYER 2,674,305

GUIDE FOR VENETIAN BLIND LIFT CORDS Filed Nov. 29, 1952 INVEN TOR. R055 R Maya? Patented Apr. 6, 1954 GUIDE FOR VENETIAN BLIND LIFT CORDS Robert P. Moyer, Sturgis, Mich., assignor to Kirsch Company, Sturgis, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application November 29, 1952, Serial No. 323,285

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to guides for lift cords of Venetian blinds and is intended primarily to be used in connection with Venetian blinds having head members which consist of channels which are ordinarily made of sheet metal and consist of a bottom and upstanding side members and in which the lifting and tilting mechanism of the blind are mounted.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a guide for Venetian blind lift cord pulleys which is simpl and inexpensive and can be made as a sheet metal stamping.

Another object is to make such a guide which can be assembled into a Venetian blind head member without the use of tools and which will be adequately retained in position without the use of any attaching means such as screws or rivets and which need not be welded into position, thus simplifying the manufacture and assembly of the blind.

Another object is to provide such a guide which is not only firmly anchored in position in a sheet metal head member of the type described but which also tends to improve the blind by providing a smooth protecting surface to keepthe ladder tapes of the blind from rubbing on an exposed raw sheet metal edge such as one encounters in the head member where the ladder tapes of the blind pass through.

Other objects and advantages will appear from th following specification:

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there are shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred since they have been found to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the arrangements and organizations of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a detailed sectional view of a portion of a Venetian blind head member showing one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a View of a different form of the invention corresponding to Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a metal blank which 2 may be used to produce guides embodying this invention.

In general the guide consists of a resilient sheet metal member which is adapted to be snapped into and resiliently retained in position in the head member which generally has a central lift cord opening and a pair of longitudinally-ex tending ladder tape slots which are spaced laterally of and on opposite sides of the lift cord opening. In the guide there is a central lift cord guide which may be either a channel or may be a pulley. There are bottom flanges extending laterally from the central lift cord guide toform a base. This base has a width substantially equal to the distance between the inner edges of the ladder tape slots and at each side thereof is a downwardly and inwardly-extending lip which fits into the lift cord slot. The lips converge toward one another and their free ends are spaced apart a distance less than the distance between the inner edges of the ladder tape slot so that when the resilient guide is fixed and the lips are inserted into the ladder tape slots they resiliently hold the guide in position. Thus the device may be assembled without tools and by unskilled labor and it is not necessary to employ any fastening means or any process such as welding to hold the guide in position. Furthermore, the downwardly and inwardly-extending lips provide a smooth surface to b engaged by the ladder tapes which are bound to come into contact with the inner edges of the ladder tape slots in the head member when the blind is manipulated, or as by tilting the blind.

The blind shown in the drawings has a head member shown generally at I. It is of sheet metal and has a bottom 2 and vertical sides 3. Centrally of the bottom is a lift cord aperture 1 and spaced laterally of and on opposite sides of the lift cord opening t are ladder tape slots 5 through which ladder tapes 6 extend. The ladder tapes are fastened to a suitable tilting mechanism, which, in this blind, consists of a shaft 1 which has a suitable enlargement 8 to which the upper ends of the ladder tapes are fastened.

Th guide member is preferably formed of sheet metal, although any material having suitable resiliency for the snap-in operation may be employed. There is a central cord-guiding portion, which in the form of invention shown in Figs. 1-4, consists of a pulley s which is supported on a shaft it! which extends between apertures H in the guide. The lift cord Ila passes over this pulley and downwardly through th lift cord opening 4.

The guide is provided with a pair of flanges l2 which form a base which seats on the bottom 2 of the head member. This base has a width substantially the same as the Width between the inner edges l3 of the ladder tape slots 5.

At the free edge of each of the flanges I2 is a downwardly and inwardly-extending lip l4. As can be seen from Fig. 4 these lips converge toward one another and their free edges I5 are spaced apart a distance les than the distance between the inner edges l3 of the ladder tape slots 5. When the guide is to be assembled in the blind it is flexed sufficiently to permit the inner free ends l5 of the lips M to be passed through the slots 5. As shown in Fig. 4 these lips engage over the inner edges [3 of the slots 5 and resiliently hold the guide in position without the necessity for any fastening means or any welding.

In the form of invention shown in Fig. 5, the cord guide comprises an upwardly-facing smooth cord-receiving channel 16, which has one end I! thereof extending downwardly toward the lift cord opening to provide a smooth cord-guiding channel. As shown in Fig. 5 the lift cord Ha passes through this channel and downwardly through the opening 4.

In Fig. 6 is shown a sheet metal blank from which both of these guides can be made. It consists of a central portion l8 which ma be dieformed to form the channels it and Il. There are side members l9 whi h serve to support this channel and also through the medium of the holes H serve to mount the pulley as above de" scribed. The portions 29 form the base and the flanges i 2 and the portions 2i form the lips This member may be formed as a stamping and may be used as it is formed and as shown in Fig. 5 as a guide without the expense of adding the pulley. However, this same stamping may be used with the pulley 9, as shown in Figs. 14. The stamping thus forms an economical element which can be made in quantities for either the most expensive blind or for a less expensive one where pulleys are eliminated.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects a illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A lift cord and tape guide for a Venetian blind having a head member comprising a channel having a bottom having therein a central lift cord opening and a pair of longitudinally-extending ladder tape slots spaced laterally of and on opposite sides of said lift cord opening, said guide comprising a resilient sheet metal member adapted to be snapped into and resiliently retained in position in said head member and comprising a central lift cord guide, bottom flanges extending laterally therefrom to form a base having a width substantially equal to the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots and each terminating at its outer lateral edge in a downwardly and inwardly-extending lip, said lips converging toward one another and being spaced apart at their free edges a distance less than the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots whereb said guide may be snapped into said slots with said lips fitted therein andoverlying the inner edges of said slots to retain 4 said guide in position and to cover the inner edges of said slots to protect a ladder tape from the inner edges of said slots.

2. A lift cord and tape guide for a Venetian blind having a head member comprising a channel having a bottom having therein a central lift cord opening and a pair of longitudinally-extending ladder tape slots spaced laterally of and on opposite sides of said lift cord opening, said guide comprising a resilient member adapted to be snapped into and resiliently retained in position in said head member and comprising a central lift cord'guide, bottom flanges extending laterally therefrom to form a base having a width substantially equal to the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots and each terminating at its outer lateral edge in a downwardly and inwardly-extending lip, said lips converging toward one another and being spaced apart at their free edges a distance less than the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots whereby said guide may be snapped into said slots with said lips fitted therein and overlying the inner edges of said slots to retain said guide in position and to cover the inner edges of said slots to protect a ladder tape from the inner edges of said slots.

3. A lift cord and tape guide for a Venetian blind having a head member comprising a channel having a bottom having therein a central lift cord opening and a pair of longitudinally-extending ladder tape slots spaced laterally of and on opposite sides of said lift cord opening, said guide comprising a resilient member adapted to be snapped into and resiliently retained in position in said head member and comprising a central lift cord guide, a base having a width substantially equal to the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots and terminating at its outer lateral edges in downwardly and inwardly-extending lips, said lips converging toward one another and being spaced apart at their free edges a distance less than the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots whereby said guide may be snapped into said slots with said lips fitted therein and overlying the inner edges of said slots to retain said guide in position and to cover the inner edges of said slots to protect a ladder tape from the inner edges of said slots.

4. A lift cord and tape guide far a Venetian blind having a head member comprising a channel having a bottom having therein a central lift cord opening and a pair of longitudinally-em tending ladder tape slots spaced laterally of and on opposite sides of said lift cord opening, said guide comprising a resilient member adapted to be snapped into and resiliently retained in position in said head member and comprising a central lift cord guide comprising a pulley disposed centrally of said guide on an axis extending transversely of said guide and said head member, bottom flanges extending laterally therefrom to form a base having a width substantially equal to the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots and each terminating at its outer lateral edge in a downwardly and inwardlyextending lip, said lips converging toward one another and being spaced apart at their free edges 9. distance less than the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots whereby said guide may be snapped into said slots with said lips fitted therein and overlying the inner edges of said slots to retain said guide in position and to cover the inner edges of said slots to protect a ladder tape from the inner edges of said slots.

5. A lift cord and tape guide for a Venetian blind having a head member comprising a channel having a bottom having therein a central lift cord opening and a pair of longitudinallyextending ladder tape slots spaced laterally of and on opposite sides of said lift cord opening, said guide comprising a resilient member adapted to be snapped into and resiliently retained in position in said head member and comprising a central lift cord guide comprising a pulley disposed centrally of said guide on an axis extending transversely of said guide and said head member, a base having a width substantially equal to the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots and terminating at its outer lateral edges in downwardly and inwardlyextending lips, said lips converging toward one another and being spaced apart at their free edges a distance less than the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots whereby said guide may be snapped into said slots with said lips fitted therein and overlying the inner edges of said slots to retain said guide in position and to cover the inner edges of said slots to protect a ladder tape from the inner edges of said slots.

6. A lift cord and tape guide far a Venetian blind having a head member comprising a channel having a bottom having therein a central lift cord opening and a pair of longitudinallyextending ladder tape slots spaced laterally of and on opposite sides of said lift cord opening, said guide comprising a resilient sheet metal member adapted to be snapped into and resiliently retained in position in said head member and comprising a central lift cord guide comprising an upwardly-facing smooth cord-receiving channel having one end adapted to be positioned above said lift cord opening and extending downwardly toward said opening to provide a smooth cord-guiding surface, bottom flanges extending laterally therefrom to form a base having a width substantially equal to the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots and each terminating at its outer lateral edge in a downwardly and inwardly-extending lip, said lips converging toward one another and being spaced apart at their free edges a distance less than the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots whereby said guide may be snapped into said slots with said lips fitted therein and overlying the inner edges of said slots to retain said guide in position and to cover the inner edges of said slots to protect a ladder tape from the inner edges of said slots.

'7. A lift cord and tape guide for a Venetian blind having a head member comprising a channel having a bottom having therein a central lift cord opening and a pair of longitudinally-extending ladder tape slots spaced laterally of and on opposite sides of said lift cord opening, said guide comprising a resilient member adapted to be snapped into and resiliently retained in position in said head member and comprising a central lift cord guide comprising an upwardlyfacing smooth cord-receiving channel having one end adapted to be positioned above said lift cord opening and extending downwardly toward said opening to provide a smooth cord-guiding surface, bottom flanges extending laterally therefrom to form a base having a Width substantially equal to the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots and each terminating at its outer lateral edge in a downwardly and inwardly extending lip, said lips converging toward one another and being spaced apart at their free edges a distance less than the distance between the inner edges of said ladder tape slots whereby said guide may be snapped into said slots with said lips fitted therein and overlying the inner edges of said slots to retain said guide in position and to cover the inner edges of said slots to protect a ladder tape from the inner edges of said slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,137,536 McConnell Nov. 22, 1938 2,455,135 Nelson Nov. 30, 1948 

